Somali minister urges journalists to take care in al-Shabaab campaign

Somalia's information minister, Mustaf Dhuhulow, has urged journalists to take care of their security during the government's campaign against the militant Islamist group al-Shabaab.

Dhuhulow made the call while visiting radio broadcaster Ahmed Sa'id Ahmed in a Mogadishu hospital. He was severely wounded in a blast near the presidential palace on Friday (21 February).

The minister, who asked journalists to make risk assessments before they cover "ongoing operations", also said: "As we have promised earlier, We are committed to make sure to an end of impunity, and all the killers of the journalists will be arrested and put to the justice."

Ahmed Sa'id Ahmed, who worked at Kulmiye Radio, was badly burned, and suffered fractures to his right hand and shrapnel injuries to his chest

The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) issued a statement condemning the "senseless attack which caused considerable loss of life."

Al-Shabaab, which claimed responsibility for the attack, used multiple car bombs and heavy machine guns during the assault on the heavily guarded presidential palace, which houses the offices of the president, prime minister and speaker of parliament.